Recommend me some new shoes!

I had a set of Specialized Pro MTB shoes that were stolen earlier this week, so now I'm in the market for a new pair of race day shoes. I'd be OK with the Specialized again, but I would like some opinions on what else is out there in my price range of ~ $300. The Mavic Fury has caught my eye so far...

I was lucky enough to win a pair of Dragon's in a contest last year, after buying a pair the year before. Both pairs of shoes have seen plenty of miles, and are both doing way better than the cleats on the bottoms of those shoes.

I heard from a shop guy here in town that even though the Specialized shoes are awesome and fit really well, they have a tendency to break quickly. I'm not saying that, I just heard a guy say it. So it must be true.

I just bought the Shimano M315's and like them so far. A little loose, but otherwise, they fit well.

I DID NOT like my last pair of Sidi's. Something happen on the way to Romania.

I have the Specialized Swork road shoes and they fit great. The Shimano's fit similarly, but are just a little loose on the fore foot area. The Sworks fit so good, I don't really need to tighten up the BOA strap.

Too bad I can't get a deal on them any more. (I was borderline ready to pay full retail on them, i like them that much).

I just bought the Shimano M315's and like them so far. A little loose, but otherwise, they fit well.

Have you given your pair of 315s the oven/vacuum treatment? It seems to make a big difference to the comfort IMO. I use 2 inner soles in all my shoes as I have "shallow" arches, which also snugs them up a little more.

I have a pair of M300s (about 2 years old now) and they're still the stiffest sole I've ever used - great for most races. Not so handy when the course requires a dismount or carry section though...

I've been using the M315 for about 6 months now and really like them - the front of the sole has a little more flex, making any off-bike excursions much nicer. Only complaint is the velcro on the straps is quite fine, and once wet doesn't stick all that well - I tape mine shut for any wet races.

I've just changed from Sidi Ergo 2 to Shimano R315 on the road, and love the Shimano feel much more than the Sidi, that's for sure. I guess shoes are a very subjective thing though...

Have you given your pair of 315s the oven/vacuum treatment? It seems to make a big difference to the comfort IMO. I use 2 inner soles in all my shoes as I have "shallow" arches, which also snugs them up a little more.

No I haven't yet. I didn't see any instructions for that process. How did you know the process? Or is it something that has to be done at a dealer? (that's what i thought).

The shoes have been really, really good so far. I'll probably add the little arch pads and see how they feel. That might snug them up a little more as well. I have high arches, but narrow feet.

To reiterate, my last pair of SIDI's were a POS. I had a pair of Sidi Dominators in 2001-2003 and absolutely loved them (broke them in an accident, in which I also broke my toe). So comfortable. The second pair i bought in '07 just sucked. Didn't fit the same, the sole didn't have the same longevity, and towards the end, developed lots of hot spots during long rides. The only difference I saw in the shoe was that it was made in Romania, and not in Italy.

The relatively humble and cost effective Shimano MO86's are my fav for cooler or rocky/technical rides and Lake I/O SDL's for hot weather. They've been discontinued (MO87's replace them) but are still available at many of the online sites.

I bought a pair of Sidi Dominator's a few months back and I am not impressed at all. The heel is quite narrow- you can twist your ankle and fall on your arse quite easily. They fit quite well on my foot but I have to tighten them generally once or more during every ride. Also they creak and squawk a lot when I am clipped in to my SPD pedals- my other shoes do not at all. In my view they are over-priced and hyped blingwear.

Some of the trails where I live require a bit of hike a bike. Sidi's are definitely not well suited to that task either as compared to my other shoes.

I was stubborn and kept trying the SIDI route. They just never worked for ME. Extremely uncomfotable compared to my Specialized PRO shoes that I used for SIX seasons!

Now on S Works and love 'em. I wish they would do them in velcro straps/ratchet though. The techiness of the cool boa system scares me a bit..

I keep a spare boa internal in the bag which seems silly..

Also, the carbon fiber is way too exposed on the toe end of the shoe. I smashed the front end on a rock and had to repair it with epoxy after my first ride in them....argh!

Also, considering the "gram war" among all high end shoes, the metal spikes that come with SWORKS are a joke. They are heavy and there is no alternative AFAIK. I am in S. Cal. where techy hike-a-bike sections are very uncommon imo..

Also...VERY pricey. If you don't have a shop hook up, then whoa on the $$. This is true for all high end shoes from Gaerne to SWORKS though.

Now on S Works and love 'em. I wish they would do them in velcro straps/ratchet though. The techiness of the cool boa system scares me a bit..

I keep a spare boa internal in the bag which seems silly..

Having some spares with you is a good suggestion for all these shoes that use ratchet and click lock type fastenings.

I just stick with shoes that use velcro fastenings now as the tightness is easier to get just right for comfort. Ratchet shoe bindings always seemed to end up between clicks - either being a little loose or too tight and squashing my feet.

I have had great luck with the Specialized Pros, but bought a set of Bontrager RLs for my road bike and they're really comfortable. 5-7 hours at a time, no issues with my feet. The price is easier to take, too.

I've worn Sidi Dominators and Dragons. They're very durable and fit my feet well. My complaint with the Dragons--and others have said this--is that the replaceable soles are way too soft. If you have to dismount and walk, say, on rocks, they will wear out very quickly. They're expensive too. I'll probably try the Mavic Fury soon.

Having some spares with you is a good suggestion for all these shoes that use ratchet and click lock type fastenings.

I just stick with shoes that use velcro fastenings now as the tightness is easier to get just right for comfort. Ratchet shoe bindings always seemed to end up between clicks - either being a little loose or too tight and squashing my feet.

The bontragers have some ingenious ratchet mechanism that allows you to loosen them in half-clicks. Very slick.

Having some spares with you is a good suggestion for all these shoes that use ratchet and click lock type fastenings.

I just stick with shoes that use velcro fastenings now as the tightness is easier to get just right for comfort. Ratchet shoe bindings always seemed to end up between clicks - either being a little loose or too tight and squashing my feet.

funny... i hate velcro because IME it is always A) loosening during a race or B) wears out faster than the shoe.

funny... i hate velcro because IME it is always A) loosening during a race or B) wears out faster than the shoe.

Velcro straps coming undone if you have to walk in deep mud can be an issue. You can minimise the risk by making sure that when you initially fasten the velcro strap you pull it tight and then run your thumb over the velcro strap whilst pressing down firmly so that all the velcro hooks are completely engaged. If the velcro hooks aren't fully pressed down into the loops then mud can get in round the sides. It also means there's less chance of the velcro being able to work loose.

When you put your cycling shoes on making sure that your heel is pushed back into the shoe's heel cup as hard as possible is worth doing. If you tighten your shoe straps with your feet forwards in the shoe (without having your heel pressed fully back against the heel cup) then when you pedal there's a gap between the heel and shoe which will allow your foot to to slop around in the shoe. If you can keep the heel in place then the shoe's tightness should stay consistent all ride.

This is quite an old thread. My shoes at the moment are the Giro Code which have ratchet bindings.

I've had them for five months now since the beginning of March 2012. The stiff Easton EC90 carbon sole is great for pedalling in. They're basically a road shoe with some tread on the bottom. I've been setting power bests ever since changing to them from my previous Specialized BG Expert shoes.

Although the carbon soles are good for riding the stiff sole makes it hard work doing much hike a bike. My Giro Code shoes aren't aging well. The tread and plastic around the toe of the shoe is already wearing away from walking in them (they don't like rocks) and there are cracks appearing in the synthetic shoe upper also. I'm not sure how long they're going to last before needing replacing.

The shoes ratchet buckles are ok but have a few issues for offroad use. They stick out from the side of the shoe so every bit of vegetation you go near catches in the lever. Most rides I'll come back with bits of plant hanging from the shoes. I've also had the buckles jam when they fill with mud. The other day I was getting quite concerned after one ride in particular that I wouldn't be able to get the shoes off at all. The ratchet buckles on both shoes were completely stuck. Fortunately they unfastened after scraping as much mud out as possible.

Been running a pair of Dominators for over 10 years ...must be thousands of miles on them. Use a pair of Sidi Dragons on race day or when I want to look pretty ...hell I even use them on my road bike when I'm just riding around town.